The present invention relates to adjustable abutment assemblies and more particularly to a hood bumper assembly arranged to adjustably engage the hood of an automobile as it is brought down into a locked position over the automobile engine compartment.
Adjustable abutments are used in many environments, as for example, in the form of hood bumper assemblies. Such assemblies are usually provided in the engine compartment of an automobile and include an abutment member arranged to engage the hood when the hood is brought down to a locked position. In the usual case, at least two abutment members are provided at respective sides of the engine compartment to vertically align the hood with the automobile fenders when the hood is closed.
Abutment assemblies of the prior art for such use have included a workpiece, which may for example be the frame of the engine compartment, having an aperture formed therein which is coined or otherwise deformed to define a helical thread about the aperture. An abutment member having an enlarged end and a threaded shank portion extending from the enlarged end is arranged to be threadingly received by the aperture. The abutment member is rotated into the aperture by a sufficient number of revolutions so that the enlarged end is at a desired position to align the hood when closed. Also, indentations about the aperture have been provided in the engine compartment frame to enable the relatively thin sheet metal into which the aperture is formed to receive abutment members having relatively large threads.
Such prior art hood bumper assemblies exhibit the deficiency that, after numerous closings of the hood, the vibration caused by the closing of the hood can cause the threaded abutment member to rotate in the aperture and thus become misadjusted. As a result, after such numerous hood closings, the prior art abutment members do not properly align the hood with the adjacent fenders. Further, prior art abutment members have had a flat end surface for engaging the underside of the hood. Such flat engaging surfaces allow the hood to vibrate laterally during automobile movement and do not positively locate the hood in the proper lateral position upon being closed.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a hood bumper assembly having an adjustable rotatable abutment member wherein, after being adjusted, rotation of the abutment member is precluded notwithstanding the vibrations caused by the closing of the automobile hood. There is a further need for a hood bumper assembly which includes an abutment member capable of preventing lateral hood vibration and positively locating the hood in its proper lateral position upon being closed.
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a new and improved adjustable abutment assembly.
It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a new and improved hood bumper assembly which, once adjusted, will not become misadjusted during closings of the automobile hood.
It is a still more particular object of the present invention to provide a new and improved hood bumper assembly of the type which includes an abutment member having a head with a spherical surface portion at one end arranged to engage the hood of an automobile when closed and arranged to coact with a stamped recess in the undersurface of the hood to prevent lateral vibration of the hood and to guide the hood into a proper lateral position upon each closure of the hood.